XN000022-1984-09-14 — Page 12

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1984

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A FURTHER STEP TOWARDS DEMOCRACY

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THE REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR ADOLF HSU, SAID THIS (FRIDAY) EVENING THAT REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WAS A STEP FURTHER ALONG THE PATH TO DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG.

SPEAKING AT A DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION PUBLICITY CONCERT IN YUEN LONG, MR HSU SAID THAT ITS SUCCESS WOULD DEPEND ON POPULAR SUPPORT.

+SOME NEW DEVELOPMENTS NEXT APRIL, SUCH AS INCREASING THE NUMBER OF ELECTED MEMBERS ON DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE SETTING UP OF A NEW REGIONAL COUNCIL, WOULD FORM A STRONG BASIS FOR REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, HE SAID.

MR HSU URGED PEOPLE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REGISTER AS VOTERS AND TO TAKE PART IN THE ELECTIONS NEXT MARCH.

+DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, PROMOTED THROUGH THE DISTRICT BOARDS. HAS GIVEN RESIDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MONITOR THE ADMINISTRATION AND CO-ORDINATION OF AFFAIRS IN THEIR DISTRICTS,+ MR HSU SAID.

+ IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, DISTRICT BOARDS HAVE PROVED THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF IMPROVING DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION AND OF REFLECTING PUBLIC OPINION ON GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND ISSUES THAT AFFECT RESIDENTS,+ HE ADDED.

WITH THE SUCCESS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS, THE GOVERNMENT IS SPEEDING UP THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONSULTATIVE MACHINERY, AND FROM NEXT APRIL, MOST DISTRICT BOARDS WILL HAVE TWO-THIRDS OF THE IR MEMBERS ELECTED.

MR HSU DESCRIBED THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER AS THE MOST IMPORTANT IN THE HISTORY OF HONG KONG'S POLITICAL REFORM.

+AT PRESENT, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO QUANTIFY THE EXTENT TO WHICH THESE CHANGES WILL AFFECT OUR POLITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE EFFECTS WILL BE FAR REACHING, HE SAID.

+THE RESPONSE FROM ALL SECTORS HAD BEEN ENTHUSIASTIC, SHOWING THAT THE PUBLIC WERE NO LONGER APATHETIC TOWARDS PUBLIC AFFAIRS, HE ADDED.

TONIGHT'S CONCERT, ORGANISED BY THE YUEN LONG JAYCEES AND THE DISTRICT OFFICE, WAS PART OF A MAJOR CAMPAIGN IN THE DISTRICT DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE MORE YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL AFFAIRS.

PRIOR TO THE CONCERT, ORGANISERS WERE OUT IN FORCE TO HELP PARTICIPANTS REGISTER AS VOTERS.

IT WAS ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 2 500 PEOPLE.

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